the surprising adventures of baron munchausen-第5章
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established its reputation as a military classic。 Similarly； in the Polar adventures； the 〃Voyage towards the North Pole；〃 1774； of Constantine John Phipps； afterwards Lord Mulgrave； is gently ridiculed； and so also some incidents from Patrick Brydone's 〃Tour through Sicily and Malta〃 （1773）； are； for no obvious reason； contemptuously dragged in。 The exploitation of absurd and libellous chap…book lives of Pope Clement XIV。； the famous Ganganelli； can only be described as a low bid for vulgar applause。 A French translation of Baron Friedrich von Trenck's celebrated Memoirs appeared at Metz in 1787； and it would certainly seem that in overlooking them the compiler of Munchausen was guilty of a grave omission。 He may； however； have regarded Trenck's adventures less as material for ridicule than as a series of /hableries/ which threatened to rival his own。
The Seventh Edition； published in 1793； with the supplement （pp。 142… 161）； was； with the abominable proclivity to edification which marked the publisher of the period （that of 〃Goody Two…Shoes〃 and 〃Sandford and Merton〃）； styled 〃Gulliver Reviv'd： /or the Vice of Lying Properly Exposed/。〃 The previous year had witnessed the first appearance of the sequel； of which the full title has already been given； 〃with twenty capital copperplates； including the baron's portrait。〃 The merit of Munchausen as a mouthpiece for ridiculing traveller's tall…talk； or indeed anything that shocked the incredulity of the age； was by this time widely recognised。 And hence with some little ingenuity the popular character was pressed into the service of the vulgar clamour against James Bruce； whose 〃Travels to Discover the Sources of the Nile〃 had appeared in 1790。 In particular Bruce's description of the Abyssinian custom of feeding upon 〃live bulls and kava〃 provoked a chorus of incredulity。 The traveller was ridiculed upon the stage as Macfable； and in a cloud of ephemeral productions； nor is the following allusion in Peter Pindar obscure：
〃Nor have I been where men （what loss alas！） Kill half a cow； then send the rest to grass。〃
The way in which Bruce resented the popular scepticism is illustrated by the following anecdote told by Sir Francis Head； his biographer。 A gentleman once observed； at a country house where Bruce was staying； that it was not possible that the natives of Abyssinia could eat raw meat！ 〃Bruce said not a word； but leaving the room； shortly returned from the kitchen with a piece of raw beef…steak； peppered and salted in the Abyssinian fashion。 'You will eat that； sir； or fight me；' he said。 When the gentleman had eaten up the raw flesh （most willingly would he have eaten his words instead）； Bruce calmly observed； 'Now； sir； you will never again say it is /impossible/。'〃 In reality； Bruce seems to have been treated with much the same injustice as Herodotus。 The truth of the bulk of his narrative has been fully established； although a passion for the picturesque may certainly have led him to embellish many of the minor particulars。 And it must be remembered； that his book was not dictated until twelve years after the events narrated。
Apart from Bruce； however； the sequel； like the previous continuation； contains a great variety of political； literary； and other allusions of the most purely topical characterDr。 Johnson's Tour in the Hebrides； Mr。 Pitt； Burke's famous pamphlet upon the French Revolution； Captain Cook； Tippoo Sahib （who had been brought to bay by Lord Cornwallis between 1790 and 1792）。 The revolutionary pandemonium in Paris； and the royal flight to Varennes in June 1791； and the loss of the 〃Royal George〃 in 1782； all form the subjects of quizzical comments； and there are many other allusions the interest of which is quite as ephemeral as those of a Drury Lane pantomime or a Gaiety Burlesque。
Nevertheless the accretions have proved powerless to spoil 〃Munchausen。〃 The nucleus supplied by Raspe was instinct with so much energy that it has succeeded in vitalising the whole mass of extraneous extravagance。
Although； like 〃Gulliver's Travels；〃 〃Munchausen〃 might at first sight appear to be ill…suited； in more than one respect； for the nursery； yet it has proved the delight of children of all ages； and there are probably few； in the background of whose childish imagination the astonishing Munchausen has not at one time or another； together with Robinson Crusoe； Jack…the…Giant…Killer； and the Pied Piper of Hamelyn； assumed proportions at once gigantic and seductively picturesque。
The work； as has been shown； assumed its final form before the close of the eighteenth century； with the nineteenth it commenced its triumphant progress over the civilised world。 Some of the subsequent transformations and migrations of the book are worthy of brief record。
A voluminous German continuation was published at Stendhal in three volumes between 1794 and 1800。 There was also a continuation comprising exploits at Walcheren； the Dardanelles； Talavera； Cintra； and elsewhere； published in London in 1811。 An elaborate French translation； with embellishments in the French manner； appeared at Paris in 1862。 Immerman's celebrated novel entitled 〃Munchausen〃 was published in four volumes at Dusseldorf in 1841； and a very free rendering of the Baron's exploits； styled 〃Munchausen's Lugenabenteuer；〃 at Leipsic in 1846。 The work has also been translated into Dutch； Danish； Magyar （/Bard de Mánx/）； Russian； Portuguese； Spanish （/El Conde de las Maravillas/）； and many other tongues； and an estimate that over one hundred editions have appeared in England； Germany； and America alone； is probably rather under than above the mark。
The book has； moreover； at the same time provided illustrations to writers and orators； and the richest and most ample material for illustrations to artists。 The original rough woodcuts are anonymous； but the possibilities of the work were discovered as early as 1809； by Thomas Rowlandson； who illustrated the edition published in that year。 The edition of 1859 owed embellishments to Crowquill； while Cruikshank supplied some characteristic woodcuts to that of 1869。 Coloured designs for the travels were executed by a French artist Richard in 1878； and illustrations were undertaken independently for the German editions by Riepenhausen and Hosemann respectively。 The German artist Adolph Schr？dter has also painted a celebrated picture representing the Baron surrounded by his listeners。 But of all the illustrations yet invented； the general verdict has hitherto declared in favour of those supplied to Théophile Gautier's French edition of 1862 by Gustave Doré； who fully maintained by them the reputation he had gained for work of a similar /genre/ in his drawings for Balzac's /Contes Dr？latiques/。 When； however； the public has had an opportunity of appreciating the admirably fantastic drawings made by Mr。 William Strang and Mr。 J。 B。 Clark for the present edition； they will probably admit that Baron Munchausen's indebtedness to his illustrations； already very great； has been more than doubled。
PREFACE
TO
THE FIRST EDITION
Baron Munnikhouson or Munchausen； of Bodenweder； near Hamelyn on the Weser； belongs to the noble family of that name； which gave to the King's German dominions the late prime minister and several other public characters equally bright and illustrious。 He is a man of great original humour； and having found that prejudiced minds cannot be reasoned into common sense； and that bold assertors are very apt to bully and speak their audience out of it； he never argues with either of them； but adroitly turns the conversation upon indifferent topics and then tells a story of his travels； campaigns； and sporting adventures； in a manner peculiar to himself； and well calculated to awaken and shame the common sense of those who have lost sight of it by prejudice or habit。
As this method has been often attended with good success； we beg leave to lay some of his stories before the public； and humbly request those who shall find them rather extravagant and bordering upon the marvellous； which will require but a very moderate share of common sense； to
